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worship as communal exchange
called to come in
God comes near and calls his people out of the world, and takes hold of us and brings us into the community of Himself.we hear | Psalm 47
(leader) – Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
(all) – Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
SONG: Sing to the King
Sing to the King Who is coming to reign
Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain
Life and salvation His empire shall bring
and joy to the nations, when Jesus is King
Come, let us sing a song
a song declaring that we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with voices raised to Jesus
Sing to the King
For His returning we watch and we pray
We will be ready the dawn of that day
We’ll join in singing with all the redeemed
’cause Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King
Come, let us sing a song
a song declaring that we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with voices raised to Jesus
Sing to the King
Come, let us sing a song
a song declaring we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with voices raised to Jesus
Sing to the King
we respond | Heidelberg Chatechism, 1563
(leader) – Q.33 Why is Jesus Christ called God’s “only Son” when we also are God’s children?
(all) – Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God – adopted by grace through Christ.
(John 1:1-3, 14, 18; Heb. 1; John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:5-6)(leader) – Q.34 Why do you call him “our Lord”?
(all) – Because – not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood he has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil, and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own.
(1 Pet. 1:18-19; Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Tim. 2:5-6)(leader) – Q.35 What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”?
(all) – That the eternal Son of God,who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might become David’s true descendant, like his brothers in every way except for sin.
(John 1:1; 10:30-36; Acts 13:33 (Ps. 2:7); Col. 1:15-17; 1 John 5:20; Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 132:11; Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:17; Heb. 4:15; 7:26-27)(leader) – Q.36 How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you?
(all) – He is our mediator, and with his innocence and perfect holiness he removes from God’s sight my sin – mine since I was conceived.
(1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 9:13-15; Rom. 8:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)confessing our sin
God the Spirit reminds us that God the Father has saved us through the righteous life and sacrificial death of Christ the Son – and in faith we rest on his gracious interest to renew us yet again.we rest | SONG: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
to make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
we hear and confess | Psalm 32
O Lord, when I kept silent, my bones wasted way through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore, let anyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in a rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; preserve me from trouble, you surround me with shouts of deliverance! Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
we rest | SONG: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
O Love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be
O light that foll’west all my way
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be
O Joy that seekest me through pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be
O Cross that liftest up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
I lay in dust life’s glory dead
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be
declaration | Psalm 32:1-2
(leader) – Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
(all) – Blessed is the one against whom the Lord counts no iniquity!
consecrated by the Word
God declares the finished gospel of his Son, and continues his powerful, internal work of change/consecration by his Spirit.sermon | The Joy of Worship • Psalm 122
we respond | SONG: My Jesus I Love Thee
My Jesus, I love Thee
I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies
Of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer
My Savior art Thou
If ever I loved Thee
My Jesus, ‘tis now
I love Thee because
Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon
On Calvary’s tree
I love Thee for wearing
The thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee
My Jesus ‘tis now
In mansions of glory
And endless delight
I’ll ever adore Thee
In Heaven so bright
And sing with the glittering
Crown on my brow
If ever I loved Thee
My Jesus ‘tis now
SONG: Evermore
You are peace, when war is all around us
You are rest, when our souls are tired
Been alive since the day that you found us
To our cold hearts, you’re a raging fire
From the grave, from the grave
you have called us
Every soul can be made alive
We are saved from the shame
and the darkness
Evermore brought into the light
No one else spins the earth, holds the heavens
No one else hears our secret cries
Lord, your kingdom is constant and endless
And your grace is a wonderful surprise
At the sound of your name chains are broken
At the sound of your name wounds are healed
At the sound of your name salvation is revealed
Evermore brought into the light
we are one with Christ
compelled to go out
God blesses us and charges us go out and extend his kingdom into the broken world around us, making disciples of all nations.benediction | Romans 5
For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous… Where sin increased, grace abounds all the more! Amen!
Copyright Information
CCLI License #: 3024647
Sing to the King, Billy Foote,©2003, Sixsteps music
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, Stewart Townend, ©1995, Thankyou music
O Love that Will Not Let Me Go, George Matheson, Christopher Miner, ©1997, Christopher Miner, public domain
My Jesus I Love Thee, William Featherstone, Adoniram Gordon, public domain
Evermore, Matthew Armstrong, Ross King, ©2012, Countless Wonder Publishing, Fots Music, Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Tunes , Ross King Music, Simple Tense Songs